By: Cedric McClester

Missiles Will Be Coming
And so will Santa Claus
On Christmas Eve
Which should give us pause
The President clearly is
A rebel with a cause
But then he always was
Adverse to our laws

Missiles will be coming
Is he declaring war,
Without the proper authorization
Like he did once before?
Crazy as he is
He’s hard to ignore
Because you see with him
You can never quite be sure

Missiles will be coming
Thought he didn’t advertise,
Now we must wonder
If he’s Obama in disguise
Faced with the same reality
That makes him realize
His *** can’t cash that check
Nor would it be wise

Missiles will be coming,
Either now or later
He’s given them a heads up,
Which makes him a traitor
To us of course, not Putin
To whom he’s vowed to cater
Because he views that despot
To be superior and greater

By: Cedric McClester

Ms. Irene left
An indelible impression
To her family and friends
She was one of God’s blessings
And her passing now
Does nothing to lessen
The fond memory of
Her effervescence

Ms. Irene
Was one-of-a-kind
When I think of her
The word love comes to mind
A better person
Would be hard to find
Someone as giving
And also as kind

I beg your indulgence
For this personal note
She made the best fried chicken
And that you can quote
Which I happily
Swallowed down my throat
But sadly I must say
That’s all that she wrote

She leaves behind
A strong legacy
An object lesson
Of what a mother can be
The example she set
For us all to see
Let’s thank the Lord
That now she is free

Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By:Cedric McClester

Moments in time
Go by single file
Though I loved you then
As I love you now
But what did I know
I was just a child
That’s what they’d say
And I’d just smile

Moments in time
Can give definition
Or reason and rhyme
To reminiscing
Like déjà vu
If you stop to listen
It tends to bring back
All that’s now missin’

Moments in time
Have come and gone
Although in my mind
They tend to linger on
Time gets away
But I could be wrong
The things that it conjures
Are so very strong

Moments in time
Snapshots of the mind
That memory captures
Oh how it enraptures
Though moments in time
Eventually fade
Except in the mind
Where they’ve always stayed




Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2020.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I could make the excuse
That I was high
When I cheated on you
But what I can’t deny
Is although I knew better
I still gave it a try
And if you asked a question
It would probably be why

No I don’t love her
More than I love you
I think at the time
It was just something to do
Do I regret it
Girl I thought you knew
There ain’t nothing to me
More important than you

Now you’ll probably hold it
Over my head
It doesn’t matter to you
What I just said
When you lose your temper
And start seeing red
I cease to exist and
I might as well be dead

No I don’t love her
More than I love you
I think at the time
It was just something to do
Do I regret it
Girl I thought you knew
There ain’t nothing to me
More important than you

Girl I’m only human
Though that’s no excuse
And I hope that I’m not
Pulling on the noose
I hope you’ll forgive me
And think what’s the use
I don’t want to lose you
So let’s call a truce

No I don’t love her
More than I love you
I think at the time
It was just something to do
Do I regret it
Girl I thought you knew
There ain’t nothing to me
More important than you

I could make the excuse
That I was high
When I cheated on you
But what I can’t deny
Is although I knew better
I still gave it a try
And if you asked a question
It would probably be why

































Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Giuliani says
He’s more of a Jew
Than George Soros
Yet he’s less of a Christian
Than most
Catholics may forgive him
At Christmas Mass
But, will their Holy Host?

A casual observer
Might claim
That Giuliani’s insane
For conspiracy hunting
Over in the ukraine
Trying to muddy the waters
And sully Joe Biden’s name
But you know what he’s doing is a crying shame

In the 9/11 aftermath,
He earned universal praise,
But that was a long time ago
Not so much these days
He’s running all over the world
Acting like he’s en-crazed
His fifteen minutes of fame extended
There’s no doubt celebrity pays

Corrupt racketeering charges
Will be dropped on him any day
When he gets his comeuppance
For crimes he’s put into play
Some think it’s his just deserts
But here is the thing about it
They say karma often hurts
And he’ll get his in Eastern District spurts











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

There’s no rhyme
Nor is there reason
So who declared it
Open season
On the Asian community?
They’re attacked if
You’re asking me
With what appears to be impunity

What did an Asian
Ever do to anyone
To make them victims
Of an errant person’s gun?
Is that just someone’s
Sick idea of fun?
Just take a look at all
The damage that it’s done

Asians are more than
Just Chinese
They hail from many countries
In the Near and Far East
Like everybody else
They’re deserving of peace
So tell me when will
All this madness cease?

The Corona virus affects
More than you
Asians are susceptible
To it too
It may have come from China
Which we already knew
But that doesn’t make it
The China or Kung-flu



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

The rich get richer
And the poor remain
On the margins or
Down the drain
Don’t look for conservatives
To feel their pain
They’re only interested
In what they can gain

Forget about all those
Who are in need
Today the rich worship
At the temple of greed
And they’ll do anything
In order to succeed
So if you’re listening
I suggest you heed

Most are sleeping
So they’re unaware
Of just who benefits
From Affordable Health Care
So they back people
With the nerve to dare
Suggest they’ll repeal it
Cuz they just don’t care

Some will vote for those
Who back the status quo
And stand by idly
Watching the misery index grow
But promise us security
As if they really know
How to bring it about
But again here we go


















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved

By: Cedric McClester

He was shot down
On the cold concrete
Falling over in a giant heap
A pool of blood
Marked the spot in the street
A chalk outline
Makes the picture complete

After she heard
A knock at her door
That Mother’s Day
Was like none before
He was mistaken
She was quite sure
What did he mean
Her son was no more

Her son was in
Some sort of dispute
Who was right or wrong
At this point is moot
The bottom line is
They started to shoot
And the bullets took
A circuitous route

That Mother’s Day
She’ll never forget
No other one
Had produced such regret
‘Til this very day
She’s still upset
Over the tragic end
That her only son met


Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2020.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

MOTHERS OF THE DEAD
UNITED IN THEIR GRIEF
THE THING THEY SHARE IN COMMON
OFFERS NO RELIEF
FROM THE NAGGIN’ QUESTION
DID THEY HAVE TO DIE
IN THE WAY THEY DID
THEY’RE JUST ASKING WHY

MOTHERS OF THE DEAD
UNIQUELY UNDERSTAND
WHAT IT IS TO LOSE
A CHILD IN A FOREIGN LAND
THEY’D JUST LIKE TO KNOW
THAT IT WAS WORTH THE COST
AS THEY COMMEMORATE
THE LOVED ONES THAT THEY LOST

MOTHERS OF THE DEAD
HEAR THEM AS THEY CRY
LOOKIN’ UP TO GOD
FOR THE ANSWER WHY
MOTHERS OF THE DEAD
HEAR THEM AS THEY CRY
LOOKIN’ UP TO GOD
FOR THE ANSWER WHY

MOTHERS OF THE DEAD
ARE LEFT TO CONTEMPLATE
WHAT THE WORLD COULD BE
IF THERE WAS NO HATE
WORDS OF CONSOLATION
BARELY CAN BE HEARD
IN THEIR DARKEST HOUR
SORRY’S JUST A WORD




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Mothers of the dead
United in their grief
The pain they share in common
Offers no relief
From the nagging question
Did they have to die
In the way they did
They're just asking why

Mothers of the dead
Hear them as they cry
Looking up to God
For the answer why

Mothers of the dead
Want so to believe
It wasn't all in vain
Small comfort as they grieve
Still they have to wonder
Through their pain and doubt
Was it necessary for us to go that route

Mothers of the dead
Are each handed a flag
A token from our country
Their heavy hearts still sag
From the weight of sorrow
They've been made to bear
Their sense of loss and pride
Is equaled by despair


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By:   Cedric McClester

We're mourning in America
We have a right to grieve
The level of his incompetence
Is not to be believed
We’re approaching four years in
But what has he achieved?
With a sense of permanence
That sooner or later won’t leave

We're mourning in America
Because he’s so ill suited
For the office that he holds
I think he should be booted
And I can’t help but lament the fact
That our tax dollars have been looted
When it comes to the pandemic
The experts have been muted

We're mourning in America
Because we’re under a pall
And his slow response to the Covid-19
Is responsible most of all
But he uses it as an excuse
For the present economic stall
And he’s in cahoots with those who say
Where we go one go all

We're mourning in America
Take a look around
Listen closely and you can hear
That muffled drumming sound
For the countless thousands
Of loved ones in the ground
That after suffering through hell
We hope are heaven bound



Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2020.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Mox nix
That they’ve heard
From Hope Hicks
Who was up to
Her usual tricks
Because those are the kind
He usually picks
When he wants to put in the fix

Mox nix
It doesn’t matter
Who he picks
Once he knows
What makes them tick
And they’re good
At the rhetoric
Of not making him into a ****

Mox nic
It doesn’t matter
That he’s sick
And gives his base
That red meat schtick
While ignoring the damage
That it can inflict
By hiding his hand while throwing a brick

Mox nix
It doesn’t matter how big
The signature affixed
To the royal decrees
He throws in the mix
Or the former aides
He summarily evicts
From his cabinet
Of sycophants and hicks









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He’s taking advantage of
The social unrest
In one of our whitest states
Nonetheless
He’s succeeding
As you might have guessed
In sowing discord
Nevertheless

He’s hoping that things
Get way out of hand
So he can bring in
More of his merry band
Of federal agents
Like the law says he can
To patrol the streets
In an unmarked vans

He’s billing himself as
Mr. Law and Order
Just like he did
At the Mexican border
He’ll clean up our cities
In such short order
And he won’t need a wall
To quell the disorder

See he’s promoting
A dystopian view
Of our country
Like oligarchs do
Suggesting it’s not
The same as we knew
Run by the majority
But rather the few





Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2020.  All rights reserved.

Mr. President
Not so fast
About the tax cut
You just passed
Thought the farmers
Would never ask
But even they
Can tell a lying ***

You’re the biggest
And the bestest
How we know
You confessed it
So many dreams
You’ve molested
Sight unseen
And untested

Would it be
Disrespectful
If I said that you’re
Neglectful
Of the ones
You never
Checked fo’
They don’t
Wand you anymo’

Now we’re all
Seekin’ relief
From the so=called
Commander and Chief
Who we find
Beyond belief
In the ways
He causes grief















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Mr.President,
Stop to hear us
We need the truth!
Not smoke and mirrors
No magic bullet’s
Gonna clear us
You had better
Learn to fear us

"Everyone who,
Needs a test,
Will get one"
Nevertheless
It’s high time
That you confess
Just a few will
And that’s at best

We don’t have,
Enough hospital beds
For those infected
Despite the feds
Doing what they can
To assist
Admit that you have
Been remiss

You don’t need to
Addi to the drama
By invoking
President Obama
You’re caught in
A five alarmer
You need a message
That's much calmer








Cedric McClester, Copyrigh © 2020.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Pat yourself on the back,
You’ve solved the riddle
And as a matter of fact
It took you and your tact
To teach the Turks how to act
Now that the cease fire will stand
In Syria’s vast desert land
We’re now beginning to understand

Obama spoke about a red line
But you alone, had the presence of mind
To finally get us out of that bind
Which you don’t hesitate to remind
Because now everything is peachy keen
And we’ve left there, as we’ve seen
What the future holds is hard to glean
Now that the Russians are on the scene

You’re Mr. Wonderful, I’ll hand you that
And I’ve got to say you’re one cool cat
But even still I smell a rat
Because the Russian are now getting fat
You’ve conceded the Middle East
Upon which now Mr. Putin will feast
And you’re not concerned in the least
I guess your palms have been greased

We realize because it’s factual,
That you’re strictly transactional
Which oft-times is abstractional
Producing results that are fractional
But what the hell do you care?
When you will soon be out of there
Which I assume you’re well aware
And if you’re not let me share






            Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Muslims killing Muslims
Is Scripturally banned
So who wrote the fatwa
That says that you can
**** fellow Muslims
In another’s land
Across your border
In the desert sand

Bombing the Houthis
With wild abandon
With no regards, for
What target they land on
Like a school bus
Full of small children
Won’t bring your war
To a quick end

It’s time the Saudis
Come clean and confess
Their Crown Prince
Has created a mess
I’m talking about
His highness MBS
Their rising star
Who’s clearly much less

Killing a journalist
For telling the truth
Then attempting to manipulate
The clear-cut proof
Trying to play it off
Like some sort of spoof
He must not realize
That he’s not bulletproof



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

My baby got jealous
When I was on the phone with you
Of course, she wanted to know
Who I was talking to?
My reply was, why?
See even if you knew
The name wouldn’t ring a bell
You still wouldn’t have a clue

As soon as I hung up
She gave me the third degree
And what she wanted to know
Is who are you to me?
I danced around the question
How could I tell her?  see
I made her chalk it up
To just another mystery

Though you and I moved on
We can’t erase the past
And even though it’s gone
Some memories tend to last
We shared a lot together
A long-ago time back then
When we began to reminisce
I didn’t know when to end

After we hung up
It was plain enough for me to see
I couldn’t help but detect
A hint of jealousy
Why I’ll never know
When I think of what she means to me
Because everything we shared
Is a part of what used to be







Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

My canvass is a blank piece of paper
So where do I start
See every word I write
Is a work of art
For critics to dissect
That is to take apart
Yet every word I write
Comes from my heart

My canvass isn't filled in
By charcoal or paint
But rather by the words I use
Without restraint
So you will know what it is
Or what it ain't
Before you even think
To lodge a complaint

My canvass is a blank piece of paper
Filled with the written word
Where my thoughts can be profound
Or sometimes absurd
They're carefully jotted down
The way they occurred
In the method and the manner
That I preferred

My canvass isn't filled with
Charcoal or paint
But rather by the words I use
Without restraint
So you will know what it is
Or what it ain't
Before you even think
To lodge a complaint

My canvass is whatever
I want it to be
Filled with the word pictures
I want you to see
Whether or not
You happen to agree
And I submit
It may not be your cup of tea

My canvass isn't filled with
Charcoal or paint
But rather by the words I use
Without restraint
So you will know what it is
Or what it ain't
Before you even think
To lodge a complaint

My canvass is a blank piece of paper
On which I create
Works of art from the words
That I state
At times they are mundane
Sometimes they're even great
And it's always my hope
That you can relate

My canvass isn't filled with
Charcoal or paint
But rather by the words I use
Without restraint
So you will know what it is
Or what it ain't
Before you even think
To lodge a complaint


(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

My heart isn’t made of stone
And I don’t have
A contentious bone
But what you might not have known
Is I don’t wanna be alone
I’ve dated many
Because I don’t have one
But I’m not having any fun

I’ve been busy protecting me
Because I’m vulnerable
Don’t cha see
And I don’t feel
That I should be
Instead I’ve chosen
To be loose and free
That  doesn’t mean that I wanna be

And now that my cover
Is blown
And you’re apprised
Of what you might not have known
About the wild seeds
That I’ve sown
Know that
My heart isn’t made of stone

My heart isn’t made of stone
See I don’t wanna be alone
But I have been for so long
That loving feeling is all but gone
I guess we'll have to wait and see
If you can change all of that for me
I'm really hoping that you can
The bottom line is I'm just a man






Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2018.  All rights reserved.









Cedric McClester, Copytight © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

As I breathed
my last breath
And embraced
The thought of death
Envisioning there’s
Nothing left
But those that I’m
Leaving bereft

Another thought
Did occur
Passing strange
As it were
Was my life
Just one big blur?
And how many others
Would concur?

What was I
Leaving behind
To benefit
My fellow kind?
More than once
Crossed my mind
Was it an accident
Or by design?

For now I feared
It was much too late
For anything
But to accept my fate
Having been crushed
Underneath the weight
Then everything
Began to conflate












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021, All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

My prayers are for Paris
The city of light
That descended into darkness
One fateful night
Many lives were taken
And that wasn’t right
But they’ll rise again
Like a phoenix in flight

My prayers are for Paris
And all they’ve been through
It was a night
That they’d learn to rue
When they got up that morning
How many knew
It would be their last
Once the cold wind blew

My prayers are for Paris
And the rest of the world
A new kind of evil
Clearly has unfurled
And one group’s hatred
Suddenly can be hurled
At unsuspecting people
Who die bent and curled

My prayers are for Paris
See the day will come
When they’ll smile again
And cease being numb
After they’ve buried their dead
Heard the muffled drum
Joy will come in the morning]
Not just for some

























Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2015.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

My sister
It’s not happenstance
That you are here
It’s been a struggle
But you persevered
And yes at times
You may have been scared
But no one can say that you weren’t prepared

My sister
They attacked you
With blatant disrespect
But they couldn’t diminish
Your dignity or your intellect
See all of their questions
Were suspect
Which everybody watching could detect

My sister
We won’t let them
Steal our joy
Because they’ve mastered
How to be coy
And we can see that it’s
Just a ploy
Used against you in order to annoy

My sister
Please don’t let ‘em
Sell you short
Cos’ you were born to sit
On the Supreme Court
All you have to do is to
Hold the fort
And wait until it’s your turn to report






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Name me a dictator
That he doesn’t admire
If you come up with one
I’ll call you a liar
You could sell me a bridge
If I were a buyer
Or tell me it’s cold
When I know it’s fire

Name me a dictator
That he doesn’t admire
The very position
For which he aspires
You can’t pull the truth from him
With a pair of plyers
His favorite ice cream
Has to be Breyers

Name me a dictator
That he doesn’t admire
Curious minds
Can’t help but inquire
Because he too
Has that desire
In pursuit of which
He never tires

Name me a dictator
That he doesn’t admire
Though you know full well
What that would require
That would make me say
Your pants are on fire
Because your circuitry
Must Have gone haywire








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Narcissus had a cartharsis
When playing on stage with his band
With all due respect he was a beautiful wreck
‘Cos you never knew where he would land
Sadly his affliction was ****** addiction
That eventually got out of hand
Which despite his gift caused a riff
With the members of his band

Call him Narcissus
Or even Cobain
The flip side of euphoria
Often is pain
Which sometimes can lead
To one’s self-distain
Or an act of suicide
If it must be explained

Narcissus could be capricious
You never knew what to expect
And he could engage people from a stage
By challenging their intellect
Making them take the plunge into grunge
‘Cos he was the architect
He’d play for hours on end
When he became circumspect

Call him Narcissus
Or even Cobain
The flip side of euphoria
Often is pain
Which sometimes can lead
To one’s self-distain
Or an act of suicide
If it must be explained

Despite having a child
And also a wife
He had a certain distain
For his own life
Success cut his insides
Just like a knife
To the point where he decided
To take his own life

Narcissus was self-pernicious
As a consequence of his deep depression
So he took a ride on the wild side
Which also should serve as a lesson
Don’t take what you have for granted
Your gifts might well be your blessin’
And that is the lesson my friend
In the end this poem is addressin’

Call him Narcissus
Or even Cobain
The flip side of euphoria
Often is pain
Which sometimes can lead
To one’s self-distain
Or an act of suicide
If it must be explained
























(c) Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

I make no excuses
Please let me explain
I didn’t want to be here
I just couldn’t take the pain
I said I wouldn’t do it
Never (Ever) again
I need you to understand
Tell me if you can

I said to myself
Never (Ever) again
Will I go back there
But that’s where I seem to end
Lord give me the strength
That only you can send
I know that I don’t have it
And so I won’t pretend

I couldn’t resist it
See it was leading me
To a place I didn’t wanna go
Where I should never be
Why I always end up there
Is a mystery
Yet all you ever have to do
Is review my history

I don’t need your pity
Because I’m overwrought
Condemn me not by committee
Instead give me support
I don’t wanna die this way
That’s why I’ve always fought
Searching for the peace of mind
That I've always sought





Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Never mind the usual,
Moment of silence
Are we gonna do sumthin’
About gun violence?
Or for that matter
Our reliance
On politicians who are in
NRA compliance

What will be said
Besides our sympathy
Goes out to the dead and injured
If we have empathy
But that sounds very empty
If you’re asking me
When concrete action
We fail to see

Can it be chalked up
To an aberration
Or a contagion
That infects our nation
For far too long we’ve
Had to be patient
As the President makes
Another meaningless statement

Insanity is doing the
Same thing again
And pretending not to know
How it will end
While thinking in good time
That you will mend
After the authorities
Attempt to apprehend























Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

You’ve given it thought
And you’ve decided
To throw in the towel
Though you’ve long denied it
You’re done forever
But at least you tried it
Never say never
If you can’t abide it

Never say never
Cos you never know when
You might wanna
Try it again
Never say never
Though you can pretend
That this is it
And you’ve reached your end

We can’t say for certain
What the future will be
So it’s best to say
Let’s wait and see
In all circumstances
Flexibility is the key
So never say never
Are you listening to me?

Never say never
Ever again
Though it might appear
That you’ve reached your end
‘Long as you’re in the game
Then you have some skin
So never say never
Ever again

Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McCleater

Anytime it’s news
He can’t take
The kind that’s bound to
Give him a headache
Nine times out of ten
He’ll label it fake
Like what they’re reporting
Is somehow opaque

And don’t let it be
An anonymous source
Because he’ll opine
From a golf course
It can’t be believed
Unless it’s endorsed
He payed for their silence
And demands it’s enforced

Most of the news
Comes out of a leak
From trusted advisors
Who’ve chosen to speak
And nothing more
Gets the President’s pique
Than to think insiders
Would be that weak

But what’s going on
Behind the scenes
Is too much to take
By any means
It’s considerably more
Than a hill of beans
And can’t be contained
By his spin machines




Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

He’s tryna bring about
A new world order
And he doesn’t want immigrants
To cross our border
Now they say his patience
Has grown so much shorter
That he’s sending down the troops
By executive order

Long-term allies
Have been placed on notice
They’ll have to anti-up
‘Long as he’s POTUS
The money we’re spending
Is his primary focus
So a new world order
Has to be his locus

The Russians used to be
Our main enemy
But not no more
As far as I can see
What their leader says
To him is the key
Though it contradicts
Our intelligence agency

He says the press
Are enemies of the people
Although they’re not
All things being equal
He serves up lies
In doses that are lethal
And leaves us all
The remnants of his *****


Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Since when did she become
A ***** expert?
Her Facebook comments
Only served to hurt
She talked about us
Just like we were dirt
She lacks the knowledge
But her opinions remain inert

As an anchor of the nightly news
We thought she was objective
Despite her personal views
Which have proven quite subjective
Fortunately her employer’s
Action was corrective
And she was immediately fired
Once her comments were detected

How can she talk about
People she doesn’t know
That just goes to show you
How deep racism can go
Now she no longer has
Her own TV news show
And Pittsburgh’s better for it
As the fair-minded know

Tell me what qualified her
To be a ***** expert
With no ***** experience
For her to assert
Yet she chose a stereotype
To place us on alert
It had to be her own bias
She used to disconcert
















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

Nine minutes and
Twenty-nine seconds
Knee on his neck
As death beckons
Justice shall prevail
One hopefully reckons
Unsupported by history
Or learned life lessons

And those gathered
As you might suspect
Begged him to take
His knee off of his neck
But his response was
Hey what the heck?
All he had for his victim
Was contempt and disrespect

Some might say
That we’re paranoid
To them I respond
In the name of George Floyd
Cos black lives matter
To a precious few
And y’all are aware
Of how you do

Grandpa cried while
On the stand
Recounting what he witnessed
Done to that man
The cop might as well have been
The Ku Klux ****
Which every black man in America
Will understand

By: Cedric McClester,

They let that devil go nine times
And as a consequence
Children continued to be molested
Does that make any sense
He was reported time and time again
Since nineteen sixty eight
But the system didn’t catch up with him
Until it was much too late

Nine times he was reported
And still they let him go
Charges were unsubstantiated
Even thought the children let ‘em know

Children continued being sent
To his house of horror
Where he wore his cloak of invincibility
As if it were an aura
And so he cast a shadow of doubt
That covered him for decades more
Before they were able to figure out
He was a molester for sure

Nine times he was reported
And still they let him go
Charges were unsubstantiated
Even though the children let ‘em know

Most of the victimized children
Who were forced to endure
His personalized brand of terror
Aren’t there anymore
But new ones came into his lair
Just like they did before
And this went on year after year
But it doesn’t happen anymore

Why did it  seemingly take forever
For him to get indicted
But now that he finally has
And his litany has been recited
The latest of which involved seven children
As well as the family dog
It’s a hell of a case they’re finally building
Now that they’re in whole hog

Nine times he was reported
And still they let him go
Charges were unsubstantiated
Even though the children let ‘em know

They let that devil go nine times
And as a consequence
Children continued to be molested
Does that make any sense
He was reported time and time again
Since nineteen sixty eight
But the system didn’t catch up with him
Until it was much too late



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

They let that devil go nine times
And as a consequence
Children continued to be molested
Does that make any sense
He was reported time and time again
Since nineteen sixty eight
But the system didn’t catch up with him
Until it was much too late

Nine times he was reported
And still they let him go
Charges were unsubstantiated
Even thought the children let ‘em know

Children continued being sent
To his house of horror
Where he wore his cloak of invincibility
As if it were an aura
And so he cast a shadow of doubt
That covered him for decades more
Before they were able to figure out
He was a molester for sure

Nine times he was reported
And still they let him go
Charges were unsubstantiated
Even though the children let ‘em know

Most of the victimized children
Who were forced to endure
His personalized brand of terror
Aren’t there anymore
But new ones came into his lair
Just like they did before
And this went on year after year
But it doesn’t happen anymore

Why did it take seemingly forever
For him to get indicted
But now that he finally has
And his litany has been recited
The latest of which involved seven children
As well as the family dog
It’s a hell of a case they’re finally building
Now that they’re in whole hog

Nine times he was reported
And still they let him go
Charges were unsubstantiated
Even though the children let ‘em know

They let that devil go nine times
And as a consequence
Children continued to be molested
Does that make any sense
He was reported time and time again
Since nineteen sixty eight
But the system didn’t catch up with him
Until it was much too late


























Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

No collusion
Or obstruction?
So what’s the logical
Deduction
When it sounds
Like his construction
Is it the truth,
Or liposuction?

You don’t think
He’d lie to us?
Be careful who you
Choose to trust
How can you be
So nonplussed?
As not to know
Lies do combust

He lays it out
Each time he tweets
Like the phrases
He repeats
Or the McDonalds’
That he eats
And the Russians
That he meets

How is he
To be believed
When the truth
Can't be retrieved
As quick as the lies
That he’s conceived
To mislead
The uninformed or naive


Cedric McClester, Copyright (c) 2018.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

No justice no peace
Doesn’t  mean shoot the police
They’re not all savage beast’
Can we agree on this at least
It’s a difficult job they do
While protecting me and you
They have a right to go home too
But then you already knew

Everyday all the time
They put their lives on the line
If I have to I’ll remind - you
That it takes a special kind
So let’s all pause to recognize
Is it just for us to demonize
The Golden Rule also applies
Let me suggest that’s recognized

It’s a noble profession
So let it be an object lesson
When we need ‘em they’re a blessin’
Which occasional misdeeds doesn’t lessin’
You’ll concede this at least
If we want crime to decrease
We need their ranks to increase
Without ‘em who would keep the peace

I’m not a police apologist
When they’re killed I get ******
Because the major point is missed
They too have a right to exist
Ask yourself where would we be
As a civil society
In this land of the brave and free
If the police cease to be



© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

We weren’t the kids
That we were before
She had that body
I couldn’t ignore
And we fell in like
More and more
Then she surrendered herself
For me to explore

That friends became lovers
Isn’t a crime
In fact, it happens
All of the time
But I never thought
Of her as mine
Though she was anyway
Once our stars aligned

Seems, like turned to love
In the blink of an eye
We had. such a long history
Her and I
Before we fell in love
And couldn’t deny
How happy we were
That we gave it a try

Wish I could say
There was a happy ending
But what is the point
Of my pretending
Or the false message
That would be sending
In a vain effort
To avoid offending









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

No more politically correct
Or words that tend to genuflect
He’s now concluded what the heck
And says some things you don’t  expect
His last term's running out of time
So he can say what’s on his mind
He doesn’t have to be sanguine
Nor fear perchance he’ll cross a line

So when he does a eulogy
As he tries to comfort the family
He speaks the truth ‘cos he feels free
To deliver a message don’t you see
So let me here and now insert
That if some feelings do get hurt
It’s not because he’s being curt
Or restrained he’s not inert

His message was direct and strong
By pointing out what he found wrong
Then sang an old familiar song
And the congregation joined along
As he tried to make his case
He talked about slavery and race
And the Confederate flag not keeping pace
With things that need to be erased

The man was like a shining tower
He demonstrated strength and power
As the accolades began to shower
The pundits called it his finest hour
He even took on gun control
In terms that were concise and bold
He was a sight to behold
See he believed the things he told

Copyright © 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

No need to add yeast
To the Catholic priest
Who were savage beast
To say the very least
They sexually abused
Those they confused
Children were misused
And their diocese refused

To prosecute
No, they remained mute
Or chose to refute
The many accusations
To which they showed patience
Our research has found
And moved the priests around
Most times out of town

Even a former Pope
Who knew the full scope
Of the slippery *****
Didn’t tighten the rope
Though it blows the mind
He simply resigned
To be deaf dumb and
To what they would find

Now he wants ablution
For his contribution
To the churches pollution
Though he wasn’t the solution
And as you might have guessed
The victims nonetheless
Continue to protest
The whole **** mess






Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2022. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

None of us knows
How much time is left
Before someone announces
Our own death
So spend each second
Like it was your last breath
And I just had to
Get that off my chest

I’m no merchant
Of impending doom
But we’ll all die one day
I must assume
Based on the evidence
We can presume
That doesn’t leave us
Too much room

So live each day
As if it was your last
Cuz time goes by
And people die so fast
It’s not that difficult
For us to forecast
Each of us
Fall into that typecast

You can’t take it with you
That’s a fact
No matter how you see
Some folks act
And this concept isn’t really
That abstract
When you examine it
For it’s impact














Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

None of us knows
How much time is left
Before someone announces
Our own death
So spend each second
Like it was your last breath
And I just had to
Get that off my chest

I’m no merchant
Of impending doom
But we’ll all die one day
I must assume
Based on the evidence
We can presume
That doesn’t leave us
Too much room

So live each day
As if it was your last
Cuz time goes by
And people die so fast
It’s not that difficult
For us to forecast
Each of us
Fall into that typecast

You can’t take it with you
That’s a fact
No matter how you see
Some folks act
And this concept isn’t really
That abstract
When you examine it
For it’s impact















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2016. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

According to Donald J Trump,
No one briefed him,
On the latest Russian outrage
But now that he’s aware of it
Is he gonna turn the page?
Or simply sit back and play
The role of the wise sage
It’s anybody’s guess ya see, it’s hard to say

The Russians can do
As they **** well please
As long as the President
Stays on his knees
And carries on like
Putin’s main squeeze
******* his **** and
Shooting the breeze

Things have really gotten
Out of hand
When Donald Trump
Is Putin’s biggest fan
There’s no greater groupy
In this land
And Trump’s already
Joined Putin’s band

The Russians have placed
A contract
On American soldiers
And that’s a fact
They’re being picked off
By the Taliban
So what else  does he
Half to understand?











Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2020.  All rights reserved,

By: Cedric McClester

No one should think
That it’s okay
For that many people
To pass away
No one should think
That it’s alright
For us to find ourselves
In this plight

No one should just
Simply dismiss
That we are nearing
A great abyss
No one should doubt
For even one second
What this is about
In case your checking

No one should try
To second guess
What we’re being told
But nevertheless
I should go on
Before I digress
To just be alive
Is to be blessed

No one should ignore
The situation that we're in
Because it’s a game
In which we all have skin
And so I must also state
Before it’s much too late
We need to mitigate
There's no time to wait








Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2020. All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

No one’s in the closet
Anymore
No one has to be there
Like before
Nowadays they open up
The door
To reveal themselves
I’ll tell you more

No one has to hide
What they desire
Or the gender of who
Lights their fire
Or the kind of ***
That they inspire
Just as long as
That’s what takes ‘em higher

No one has to pretend
To be ashamed
Of the preferences
That they have named
Nor can that be used’
Just to defame
The ones who find themselves
Caught in that game

No one can deny that
Things have changed
Lest not those who
Were once estranged
My how some things
Seem to rearrange
To the point where
Few still find them strange









Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2021.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

After having fled them
He was arrested
With no probable cause
Which made him contest it
Then he was subdued
No -  let’s say molested
What can we conclude
You’ve already guessed it

They don’t need a reason
To arrest blacks
Cos’ it’s open season
These are just the facts
They have blue allegiance
We fall through the cracks
Which gives great credence
To all justice lacks

When he was placed
In the paddy wagon
Hogtied and trapped
His body was dragging
Cos’ he wasn’t strapped
Like he was a bag and
His spine was snapped
So can you imagine

In critical condition
Yet he was ignored
While hoping and wishing
Praying to the Lord
That someone would listen
Cos his spinal cord
Was severed or missin’
Just like he assured




© Copyright 2015, Cedric McClester.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

“I want nothing, no quid-pro-quo!”
Why was he speaking in
A language that he doesn’t know?
And was he doing it strictly for show?
Or was it to maintain the status-quo?
Yet, it is fruitless for him to be hiding,
That he desperately wanted
Dirt on Hunter and Joe Biden

“I want nothing, no quid-pro-quo!”
Does he think we’re stupid,
Or simply don’t know?
But verily I say unto you
Even so
We can see that his nose
Is starting to grow
As long as a garden hose

“I want nothing,no quid-pro-quo!”
Is certainly subterfuge
Cuz his fingerprints show
He is complicit
But had to say whoa!
To his European ambassador
So that he wouldn’t blow
Need I say more?

“I want nothing,no quid-pro-quo!”
Perhaps might fool
The average Joe
But the reporter was
A seasoned pro
To whom even he
Must tip his chapeau
And smack his knee



Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2019.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

If I may, let me give you the nexus
Of five biker gangs in Waco Texas
Clearly with super fast reflexes
Who became deadly as well as reckless
They shot up Twin Peaks, their recruitment place
Nine of ‘em were killed in any case
And just as you might have assumed it
Many more were seriously wounded

But unarmed demonstrator’s chants
Of no justice no peace
Calls for volleys of tear gas at the very least
And tanks to move in along with the police
But not in Waco where the violence increased
I don’t get it, but am I suppose to
Why the system does the things that it do
But that doesn’t mean I don’t wish I knew

If you’re looking for
Any semblance of sameness
Pursuing that end would only be aimless
Until recently all five were nameless
Despite identifiers on the back of their vests
Now on the other hand, if they were black
They’d be called nothing short of a mad wolf pack
And the National Guard would have had to react

The Cossacks and Banditos
Are two names that emerged
Now there are fewer of ‘em  
Since they’ve been purged
It became very clear that they were on the verge
Of reeking all out havoc and mayhem
Forcing the cop to arrest and slay ‘em
As they ferociously tried to somehow delay ‘em




Copyright © 2015  Cedric McClester.   All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Feel the needle going in
My tired veins and swollen skin
At this point I can’t pretend
I’m not in love with ******
Just so I can feel okay
I do it each and every day
Though I know what people say
I’m a low down ***** anyway

Not for the thrill
But for the high
I was floating in the sky
A feeling I could not deny
Now I’m just trying to get by

I feel it flowing through my veins
And the warmth that it contains
Eases all my aches and pains
While locking me inside its chains
It asks the question where you been
You can’t escape King ******
I’m closer than your closest kin
Once you decide to let me in

Not for the thrill
But for the high
I was floating in the sky
A feeling I could not deny
Now I’m just trying to get by

How many others have you fooled
How many others have been schooled
How many others have been pooled
How many others overruled

Although I know it’s killing me
Between the devil and the deep blue see
Is where I’ll no doubt probably be
I’m having trouble breaking free
I’ve tried before to escape
No matter how I scratch and scrape
But it’s always a tale of the tape
I never break it at any rate

Not for the thrill
But for the high
I was floating in the s
A feeling I could not deny
Now I’m just trying to get by

Feel the needle going in
My tired veins and swollen skin
At this point I can’t pretend
I’m not in love with ******
Just so I can feel okay
I do it each and every day
Though I know what people say
I’m a low down ***** anyway




Cedric  McClester, Copyright (c) 2016.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

It’s nothing but lies
That he repeats
He stays up all night
And launches his tweets
That on occasion
He sometimes deletes
And it’s clear to us
That he likes his sweets

He’s now being challenged
By his Russian friends
Yet he remains silent
But alas! to what ends
North Koreans launch
Missiles in the sky
And he has no answer
To the daunting question why

He plays the strong man
But he’s really weak
Behind the curtain
If we take a peek
There have been others
So he’s not unique
We see his motive
Although it’s oblique

It isn’t mysterious
No it’s crystal clear
He’s trying to rule
By instilling fear
And if it works out
Our rights disappear
Out of our hands
And into thin air












Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2017.  All rights reserved.

By: Cedric McClester

Some say this country
Is a mess,
But nothing succeeds
Like success
So how’d we get here?
Take a guess,
We’ve gone from good
To worst, no less

Once slavery was
At the core
Of what we’ve called
Our Civil War
Now racism is
At the fore
Of our current
Internecine war

Look at all the beliefs
That we abort
To get another conservative
On the high court
But we’re selling
Ourselves short
By abandoning the principles
For which we fought

Red states, blue states
Then there’s the middle
Daily the opposition
Is belittled
We’ve stood by and let
Women get diddled
Remember Rome burned down
While Nero fiddled















Cedric McClester, Copyright © 2018. All rights reserved.